Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.

II.

Beginnings

The voices surrounded him were muffled.

For a moment, Akira thought he was going insane. The shadows never hold voices. At least, no one's voice but his own. But, as far as he knew, he wasn't talking, which is what made him confused— until he opened his eyes, and he realized where he was and what was happening.

"Welcome to Nimbasa City!"

He repeated that name in his head. When Akira sat up, the bus came to a full stop and he looked out the window. He was able to see what looked like several apartment buildings in the distance, as well as several people walking toward and from them. Akira stood up and shuffled out of the bus. As soon as he stepped outside, he was greeted with the almost foreign sensation of the sun against his skin.

"We finally made it, everyone!" the female guide said as the rest of the group made their way off the bus. Akira looked around again. He could see looming buildings from afar, as well as the shadow of what appeared to be a ferris wheel. Akira turned around and saw what he assumed was the school, a large, five storied building with massive windows. It was protected by a large gate with a vast front, featuring a cobblestone walkway, a cloister, and a fountain with the statue of two pokémon spurting water.

"Now then, I'm going to call out everyone's name and their chosen type. When you hear your name, just say something to let me know you're here!" the woman continued. Akira drowned out her voice for the most part, and instead just focused on examining the scenery surrounding him. His eyes would always flicker back towards the statue, the pokémon portrayed on it catching his attention more than he would've liked to admit.

"Akira? Akira, are you here?"

His head whirled back to the woman, who smiled at him, albeit with a hint of nervousness crossing her lips.

"Dragon dorm?" she asked. Akira nodded.

"Yeah," he answered. It was as if the entire atmosphere changed. By now, Akira knew when eyes were on him, and knowing people were staring at him always made him at least a bit uncomfortable. This was no different.

"Okay! Well, I'll escort you all to your dorms!" the woman chirped. She motioned for the group to follow her as they crossed the narrow street and made their way towards the apartment buildings. Akira kept behind everyone, dragging his feet across the pavement. All the dorms together almost made it seem like a small community. They were all in rather close proximity to each other, and at the front of each entrance was a symbol to represent each element. A raindrop for water; flame for fire; gear for steel; feather for flying; and so on and so forth.

As the group passed by each building, a few would split and enter their respective building, ecstatic to start their new lives. It continued on like this until Akira was the only one left, and the guide looked at him, clutching her clipboard close to her chest.

"Here we are!" she said, holding her arm out to a building they approached. Akira glanced at her, and then the building, and he immediately scowled. Unlike the others, which were in top condition, as if they were just built the day before, this building looked far older in comparison. It was pale and had some vines growing on it. While the other buildings had beautiful flowers and shrubbery at the front, this one had weeds and dead flora limping pathetically over the stairs to the entrance, which were also showing signs of wear and tear.

"Are you… is this real?" Akira asked. "What the hell?"

"It's true the dragon dorm has seen better days, but the current occupant is working really hard to restore it to its former glory!"

Akira furrowed his brows.

"Occupant? There's one person?"

"Well, there were more people but…" she shook her head. "I-I have to head out now, so bye!"

She scurried away before Akira was even given a chance to say anything else, quite literally leaving a trail of dust behind her as she ran. With a loud sigh, the green eyed boy lugged his suitcase up the stairs and pushed the door open, cringing slightly at the ominous creaking sound it made, coupled with dust falling to the ground as it opened.

The interior looked just as bad as the exterior. Dim lights flickered randomly. Some of the windows had been boarded up, and the floor had several spots and stains of unidentifiable substances. The light that filtered into the hallway through the boards, showcasing the dust that floated in the air, only seemed to add to the eerie ambiance.

"Hello…? Uh… my name's Akira. I, uh, I'm a part of this dorm now, I guess," he called out. There was no response. Akira took small, careful steps inside. A light bulb above suddenly blew out, startling him as he quickly dove to the side, his back pressed against a wall, breaths heavy and uneven.

"Goddammit," he sighed. "Hello—?"

Akira cut himself off when he heard a sound. Listening closer to it, he realized it was humming, and he took a few moments contemplating if it would be worth it to turn around and leave the building. He thought of his mother's words about switching out pokémon, and although he was confident he wouldn't have to even ask her for that, he wondered if perhaps he spoke too soon.

"No." Akira bit his lip. "I won't give her the satisfaction. My pokémon are fine. This is fine. If I die or get possessed by a demon, then so be it, but I won't—"

He paused when he heard another sound, this time, a quiet groaning. Akira slowly turned his head to see something moving within the shadows, waddling towards him.

"Well, fuck." He chuckled and moved back until his back hit the wall, and slowly, he slid down. "You're so confident about dying, and then when it's actually presented to you, you find every reason to keep living. My life is hell." He sighed and dropped his head. "At the very least, if I die, I'll be able to haunt that old hag and make her life hell, too."

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Kill me now, o great demon!"

Akira waited a few moments, and for a split second, wondered if he died and just didn't feel it. Suddenly, he felt a viscous liquid splatter onto his lap, instantly making his face twist up in disgust.

"What the—?" he looked up and, in the dim lighting, saw a huge, purple creature blinking at him with friendly green eyes, pale green slime dripping from its arms and to the floor.

"Oh, god," Akira groaned and stood up. "Okay, you're definitely not a demon. Though I'm not sure if I should be happy about that or not."

"Um… you do know demons aren't real, right?"

From behind the Goodra a woman poked her head out, a somewhat amused smile on her face. Akira looked at her curiously. She had light brown hair tied into a messy bun, strands falling around her face haphazardly. Her hazel eyes were hidden behind a pair of black framed glasses, and she wore a t-shirt that had all sorts of stains on it, with a pair of overalls tucked into knee high rubber boots, with yellow rubber gloves. A bucket was held tightly in her hands.

"I wouldn't totally dismiss the possibility that they are," Akira muttered with a lax shrug, a chuckle laced with his tone. He furrowed his brows and looked up at the woman. "I assume you're the sole occupant of this shit hole, huh?"

"Wow, you certainly don't hold back in your compliments," the woman teased. Goodra huffed, as if personally offended by the comment.

"Sorry."

"No, you're right. This place does look pretty awful."

The woman let out a deep breath and set the bucket down in front of her. She slipped off her gloves and, holding them underneath her arm, held out her hand, smiling amiably.

"I'm Gale Delacroix. It's nice to have you here."

Akira rose to his full height, towering over the woman who only reached to his chin, and shook her hand with a firm grasp.

"Akira Tachibana," he returned. Gale sighed.

"I'm glad to have someone here," she looked up at him and smiled. "Sorry for the state of the building, by the way. But it's only this floor that looks this bad!"

Akira quirked a brow. "I don't get it. This entire place is abandoned and looks like it's straight out of a horror movie. Why's it still here? Why are you still here?"

Gale let out a small sound as she knelt down and gripped the bucket handle in her hands. She pushed up her glasses with the back of her hand and turned to him, lips curling up in what Akira could only assume was a smirk.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Some people in this world don't know how to stop and appreciate beauty in all its forms."

Akira was led to the top floor by Gale, and as she said, it looked relatively well maintained compared to the ground floor. The windows let in bright rays of sunlight that only seemed to make the colorful hallways a bit friendlier. The hardwood floors shone with a new layer of wax. And the room they were in was relatively large, making it more like a suite.

Akira sat in the middle of an open space in front of a television, a small ground level table in front of him, with a tray of tea and two teacups sitting on it. There were also a number of confectioneries— cake slices, cookies, and cupcakes— that joined the tea. By now, Gale had changed out of her attire and now wore something more professional, an off white blouse with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and a pair of olive green trousers. Jewelry had also joined her attire, Gale wearing a silver necklace and various rings.

"I mean, I guess," Akira said, biting into a piece of cake.

"I suppose I'm biased, but I think dragon types are among the most beautiful pokémon to roam this earth. They're graceful, majestic, simply ethereal. You know, it's said in the past, they were a sign of someone's royalty," Gale hummed. Akira scrunched his nose at the thought of the woman's Goodra, of which he would consider the exact opposite of graceful and majestic. Messy and slightly revolting seemed to be more accurate.

"Despite this, dragon types were always feared," Gale continued, lifting the teacup to her lips. "They've always been one of the most difficult types to train. They're stubborn pokémon by nature, and can be violent and aggressive. As far as I know, from the moment this school was established, the dragon dorm has always been the smallest."

"I mean, their rarity doesn't help, either," Akira said. Gale nodded.

"Right. Ice, ghost, and fairy types are equally rare. The biggest difference is where people's perception of them lies."

"Mhmm."

"Ice types are sought after for the aesthetic associated with them. Pokémon like Glaceon and Vulpix are some of the most popular pokémon in the world right now. Ghost types are well regarded for their mysterious, elusive natures. Fairy types are cute and alluring, but also very powerful. And dragon types, well…"

Akira remained quiet, but he understood. He thought of his mother's pokémon— Garchomp and Hydreigon, considered ugly by most, and known for their ferocity by everyone else. He could fully understand why people hesitated when it came to dragon types, but there was still one burning question that remained.

"What happened to this place?"

"I don't know the specifics," Gale admitted with a curt smile. Akira nearly choked on his food and glared daggers at the woman.

"Then why did you act like you did?"

"I like messing with people!"

He just rolled his eyes as Gale chuckled.

"In all honesty, all I know is that the graduating class from two years ago were the last ones to live in this dorm. And that's when I moved in," she explained. "It's kind of taboo to talk about it, though. The only reason the headmaster didn't demolish the building is because I moved in, and I begged for the building to stay up in case someone would one day move in."

"Guess I did you a favor," Akira muttered.

"Maybe. Anyway, I've spent the last two years cleaning up the entire building, but as you know, I'm only one woman, and a busy one, at that."

"That's why the first floor still looks like shit?"

"You should really watch your language."

"Whatever," Akira groaned, stretching his arms over his head. "Well, that was a nice little tea party, but I'm gonna head to my room now."

Gale blinked. "Oh? Aren't you going to explore the campus a bit?"

"Nope. I just wanna hurry up and graduate."

"I see… well, that's fine, too," Gale smiled. "Thanks for letting me ramble about dragon types for a while. It really is nice to have someone around!"

"With all due respect, don't start getting used to it. I have no intention of making friends. Thanks for the food, though."

Akira got to his feet and strode towards the room door, not even giving Gale a second glance as he opened it and stepped into the hall, closing it behind him. Hearing his muffled footsteps, Gale couldn't help but let out a soft laugh and shook her head as she began to collect the dishes.

"He's an interesting one, that's for sure," she thought. "I wonder if Althea will like him…"

When Akira reached his room, he opened the door and was met with a space similar to Gale's. It was large, maybe a bit too large for just one person. He was greeted by a living space containing a futon, coffee table, and small TV. To the right was where his room was, and to the left, a small kitchen-like area, complete with a stove, mini fridge, and dishwasher. Akira clicked his tongue.

"Man, talk about living fancy," he muttered, stepping further into the room. "This place must get all sorts of crazy funding."

Walking into his room, as he thought, there were several boxes stacked up against the wall, all containing his personal belongings. The bed had already been made, making Akira wondering if Gale was the one who tidied up for him. With a deep sigh, he pushed his hair back and fell back onto the bed.

"I guess being one of two occupants ain't that bad," he thought, resting his hands behind his head. "I can keep to myself and get some alone time. Only gotta worry about the people in school, but I'm sure they know who to mess with or not."

He rolled onto his side and closed his eyes for a few moments. He could feel a movement in his pocket, and just as Akira moved his hand, something popped open, and he turned onto his back to see a pair of deep violet eyes staring at him. The pokémon gently nudged him with its snout, the horn on top its forehead pressing slightly into his cheek, causing him to hiss sharply.

"Oi, Dragonair, c'mon," he groaned, softly pushing it away. Dragonair tilted its head to the side with eyes filled with concern. It looked around, examining its surroundings, before moving to the other parts of the dorm. With a slight chuckle, Akira got up from the bed and followed it, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"This is home now, at least for the next year. Better start getting used to it," he said. Dragonair traveled towards a window and rose up to look outside. The amusement park in the distance could be seen more clearly, roller coasters and concession stands amongst the countless people who roamed the area. And of course, there was the ferris wheel, grand and massive, spinning slowly, the individual cars swaying lazily with it.

Looking at the same scenery, something about it made Akira feel a bit nostalgic. He wasn't sure what specifically— maybe the rolling clouds amidst the clear blue sky, or the subtle realization that everyone below were living their own lives, or, perhaps, the warmth associated with amusement parks that he thought was so alien. Clicking his tongue, Akira tore his gaze away and strode to the futon, plopping carelessly onto it.

"For the record, I still think this whole thing is stupid," he huffed. Dragonair turned to him as he spoke. "And I know mom only did this to me 'cause she wants to prove a point to me. Stupid bitch."

Dragonair slithered towards him and used the end of its tail to flick his forehead. Akira hissed and rubbed the spot he was hit, looking up at his pokémon with narrowed eyes.

"What the hell are you attacking me for? I know you feel the same way," he grumbled. Dragonair didn't react. With a roll of his eyes, Akira leaned back against the futon and looked up at the ceiling.

"I don't even wanna think about her," he mumbled. "At least, not for a while.

"Rise and shine, weather boy!"

Morning time was hardly Akira's favorite part of the day. He blinked a few times, eyes squinted in indication that he was still in a half asleep stupor. He ran his fingers through his messy locks, not bothering to even brush them and as a result, they fell in front of his face. Gale bounded spritefully beside him, a cup of coffee in her hands as the two walked down the hall.

"How the hell are you so… energetic?" Akira groaned, followed by a large yawn.

"I love mornings! I got up extra early to grab my early morning coffee, then woke you up early, because it would look bad on me if you weren't early for your first day of class!"

"Stop saying that word."

"I take it you're not a morning person, huh?" Gale chuckled.

"I'd rather die than wake up before noon," Akira responded.

"You don't mean that."

"Believe what you want."

Making their way out of the dorm building, as the pair passed by other students, Gale gave them all a quick wave and friendly hello. Akira was admittedly surprised at how amiable the students were to her, and she to the students. What didn't shock him, however, were the curious and slightly fearful glances he received from others. People would approach Gale and barely even acknowledge him with a look before scurrying away, something the teacher was quick to pick up on, as well.

"You know, you should smile a little more. Everyone is practically running away from you," she commented.

"Fine by me."

"You are just a bundle of sunshine, aren't you?" Gale asked. Akira shifted his eyes towards her and shrugged.

"I'm just me."

"Fair enough. But look, since we're gonna be spending a lot of time together, you might as well drop the act.

"Act?" Akira scoffed. Gale nodded.

"You can be as tough and silent as you want, Akira, every wall has its cracks."

"Look." He stopped in his tracks and fully turned to face her. "Just because I'm the first person in the dragon dorm in a few years doesn't mean we're friends, and it definitely doesn't mean you can play armchair psychologist with me. Just leave me alone, alright?"

Akira turned on his heel and stormed away. Watching his back, Gale, unfazed by his small outburst, chuckled quietly and took a small sip of her coffee, grimacing slightly at the fact it was now cold.

"That wasn't my intention at all," she thought with a sigh and shake of her head. "I'm sorry I came off that way, Akira. I suppose a part of me can't help it." She began to continue walking ahead, throwing the coffee in a trash can she passed by. "You remind me so much of her."

Akira's entrance in the classroom didn't go unnoticed by the other students, who all shifted their heads towards him as soon as he stepped inside. Frown settling onto his face, Akira made the conscious decision to ignore their looks and walked further into the classroom. He settled into a seat towards the back, farther away from everyone. He crossed his arms over his chest and kicked his feet onto the desk, relaxing for just a bit until the bell for the beginning of the day rang.

Soon after, a man walked inside, introducing himself as the homeroom teacher and welcoming the students back to their final year of high school. Akira was about ready to fall asleep, his chin burying into his collarbone as he lowered his head and closed his eyes. He drowned out the teacher's voice as he began to call out names for attendance, that is, until his own was called, and he lifted his head.

"Tachibana? Akira Tachibana?" the teacher asked. Akira raised his hand into the air. "Oh. Well, please take your feet off the desk. This isn't your home."

Akira opened his mouth to argue; that, due to the fact this was a boarding school, in all technicalities it was his home, but he figured it wouldn't be worth the attention or frustration that would inevitably stem from such an argument. Akira dropped his feet and stared ahead as the teacher continuing calling names. When he finished the attendance, he turned to face the blackboard and picked up a piece of chalk, beginning to write on the board. A few moments later, a short chime was heard over the PA system, and everyone in the class lifted their head to listen to it.

"Good morning, students. Would Akira Tachibana please report to the headmaster's office? I repeat, Akira Tachibana, please report to the headmaster's office."

A sea of eyes all landed on Akira, which only made him cringe. He stood up and faced the teacher.

"The headmaster's office is directly above this classroom," he explained. As a silent thank you, Akira inclined his head and trudged out of the classroom. Stepping into the hallway, Akira exhaled deeply and looked down both ends of the hall before continuing on.

Akira found himself standing in front of a pair of mahogany sliding doors, which was more than telling of the size of this office. He knocked on one of them and leaned closer, eventually hearing a muffled voice from the other side give him the go ahead to come inside. Rather reluctantly, Akira slid the door open and plodded in, closing it behind him.

The office was as large as he thought it would be, but something about it, somehow, felt remarkably empty. There was a small sofa on either side of the space, propped up against the walls, with decorative plants beside them. Based on the slight minty smell within the room, he assumed they were real. The right side of the room contained pictures of who Akira thought were previous headmasters, men and women alike, poised proudly with the same strict look on their faces. On the left, there were paintings with various subjects, ranging from pokémon to scenery.

Directly in front was the large desk where a woman sat behind in a leather chair, although the back of the chair faced Akira, and behind it was a large window that allowed plenty of natural light to illuminate the office, and overlooked the sight of Nimbasa City, Akira able to see the skyline of the city.

"Um… I'm here," he said with an awkward tone. The chair slowly swiveled around and Akira found himself looking into the piercing blue eyes of the headmaster, a gaze that sent a shiver down his spine mostly because it looked far too familiar.

"Thank you for coming," the headmaster said. She stood up and walked around the desk before leaning against it and crossing her arms over her chest. She was exactly what Akira expected of someone in a leadership position. She was an average height, around five foot six, and built more broadly compared to, say, Gale, or even the tour guide, evidenced in her strong legs and arms. Her auburn hair was tied neatly into a bun, not a single strand out of place, which seemed to accentuate the iciness of her eyes. An oversized black blazer was draped across her shoulders, and she wore a navy blue long sleeved dress that reached a bit above her knees, sheer stockings, and black strap shoes with a small heel. She also wore a gold bracelet around her wrist.

"My name is Althea Spiros. I am the headmaster of this institution," she introduced.

"Hi… uh, why did you call me in here?" Akira asked.

"I wanted to discuss some things with you," Althea answered. "I must admit, I was surprised to see Kiyoko Tachibana's name as part of your application when it was received. The son of the Sinnoh champion was the last person I expected to apply here."

Akira raised a brow. "Why? This place is so highly regarded by the world, isn't it?"

"Yes, although I'm sure you know the type of woman your mother is," Althea said, the corners of her mouth lifting ever so slightly. Akira chuckled, rather disdainfully, at the implication. "Regardless, you'll have nothing to worry about in terms of people finding out about your heritage. Tachibana is a common surname, and most Unovan natives won't make the connection between your looks."

"Right," Akira muttered. "Is that all?"

"No."

Althea went back to her chair and sat in it, crossing one leg over the other and folding her hands graciously in her lap.

"You're the first person in two years to move into the dragon dorm," Althea began. "I had plans of demolishing it considering so few people, even before it became abandoned, applied here and trained dragon types."

"So I've been told."

"You're a bit of a special case in that regard. Plus, you're a third year. There has only been a handful of people who came in so late into their school career since this school's opening."

"I figured," Akira sighed, now ready to leave the office and return to the classroom.

"Akira, how would you like to become a dorm leader?"

"What?" he furrowed his brows. "A what?"

"Dorm leader," Althea repeated. "Something like a student body president, but for the respective dorms. This was something put into place about six years ago as a response to students wanting to have their voices heard outside of the school. The dorms here are almost like fraternities, such as Alpha Phi Omega or Epsilon Sigma Alpha. Dorm leaders are the ones students in their dorms go to for any issue, act as representatives, and are commonly the strongest, or amongst the strongest in their respective dorm."

"I'm the only student in the dragon dorm, though," Akira said. "It makes no sense if I become one."

"Whether there is one student or a hundred students, it makes no difference. If you want something to change, then who will you go to in order for your voice to be heard? If you become a dorm leader, at the very least, you can consult someone on your own accord," Althea said. Akira opened his mouth, but quickly closed it, figuring he had nothing to say against that. "Not only that, but you can bring some pride to the dragon dorm. Most people brush over it nowadays, but you can change that."

"I'm gonna be honest, I don't really care about that shi— uh, stuff," Akira said. "I just wanna get on with my school career."

"Well, as you mentioned, you're the sole member of the dragon dorm," Althea chuckled. "Unfortunately, that doesn't give you much of a choice."

"What?"

"Congratulations, Akira. From this point onward, you are now a dorm leader."

"No, I—" He bit his cheek. "I didn't sign up for this!"

"Every dorm needs a leader if one is available. That's the rule that has been established."

Akira was going to say something further, but was silenced when Althea held up her hand. She placed her elbow against her desk and leaned her cheek against her fist.

"Do keep in mind that some of the dorms have… rivalries. Don't be surprised if someone challenges you to a battle."

"Yeah, well, if the dragon dorm is as brushed over as you say it is, guess I don't gotta worry much about that," Akira said, a hint of anger in his tone, before making his way out of the office. He slowly walked down the hall, to the staircase, and sat on the second stair. Akira leaned against his knees and dropped his head.

"It's as if everyone is living my own damn life for me," he thought. "No matter what I say, my words always get drowned out. It's like the universe placed a curse on me."

Akira remained in this sitting position for a few minutes before heaving out a large sigh and standing up. He continued his way down the staircase, skipping a step, and when he reached the second flight he stopped upon seeing a body slumped over the bottom of the steps. With a raised brow, Akira slowly walked towards the body, wondering if maybe this person was unconscious, or worse. Just as he reached out, a bright beam came from the person's pocket, and a small pink pokémon with what appeared to be a head of blonde hair appeared in the new boy's lap.

Puffing out its cheeks, the Smoochum lifted an arm into the air, its hand glowing a bright blue. It waited a few moments, as if checking to see if this person would wake up, but when he didn't, the Smoochum quickly smacked both of his cheeks, almost immediately waking him up with a jolt. He immediately grabbed Smoochum and held it away from him as it continued to slap the air with an expression filled with ire. Having witnessed the entire scene, Akira's brow twitched.

"Whoa, whoa! Sorry— did I fall asleep again?" the boy asked with a nervous chuckle. He set Smoochum down beside him and stood up, ignoring the slaps it delivered to his leg.

"Oh, hey, a guy!" the boy exclaimed.

"Stunning deduction," Akira muttered. "What the hell are you doing asleep in a staircase?"

"Mm… I don't really know… I was coming back from the bathroom, and all of a sudden, I was here…"

"What are you, some sort of amnesiac?" Akira asked. The boy shook his head as a negative answer and lifted his Smoochum into his arms, the pokémon seemingly relaxing as soon as it was in his grasp.

He stood close to Akira's height at five foot eleven, with fair skin and a slim build. He had blue eyes, similar to Althea, but nowhere near as intimidating, with this boy's eyes being far gentler and kinder. He wore a sleeveless black jacket that he kept open, with a white t-shirt underneath, black cargo pants tucked into black boots, and similarly colored fingerless gloves. His black hair was short and spiky. Akira thought his overall demeanor didn't quite match the aesthetic of his clothing.

"Well, I gotta return to my class now," the boy said. "Oh! My name's Jason Black by the way! What's yours?"

"... Akira," the other responded.

"Whoa. Like the movie? Cool name! Anyway, catch ya later!"

Taking just a few steps forward, the Jason's knees suddenly buckled from underneath him, and he fell to the ground face first, with Smoochum hopping out of his arms right before he hit the ground. Slightly shocked, Akira hurried toward him and knelt beside him, shaking him gently.

"Kid? Yo, you okay?" he asked. Turning him over, Akira breathed out, seeing that at the very least, his chest was rising and falling, indicating that he was breathing. When looking over at Smoochum, the pokémon raised its arm to prepare for another Wake-Up Slap, but stopped when Akira shook his head.

"Don't bother. I'll just take him to the nurse just to make sure he doesn't die," the third year said. Truthfully, he felt exasperated at such an odd encounter, but the better part of him knew he couldn't just let a kid sit here defenseless. Shaking his head, he lifted Jason's arm across his shoulder and stood up, tepidly dragging the limp boy down the hall.

It was a slight breeze coupled with a few muffled voices that awoke Jason. As soon as his eyes fluttered open, he had to close them shut again as a response to the light that was shining brightly above him. He groaned and turned his head, the green eyes of his Smoochum looking directly at him.

"Mmn…?" he sounded. Jason slowly sat up and rubbed his head, and he looked around. He recognized the white walls and cabinets filled with medical equipment, knowing this was the nurse's office, and sitting beside the bed he laid upon was a boy who kept his eyes on his phone in front of him, tapping every now and again at his screen, as if playing a game.

"Yooo," the boy greeted without looking up. "Finally awake?"

"Yeah… how long was I out?"

"Only about twenty minutes. Teach sent me to look for you, and I ended up running into some third year who was carrying you." Slowly, a smile came to the boy's face, and he burst into laughter, throwing his head back as he slapped his knee. "You looked so stupid, dude!"

"Okay, ha-ha, I'm glad my crippling condition is so hilarious," Jason said, rolling his eyes, though he couldn't hold back a chuckle of his own.

"Crippling? Hardly. Getting to sleep wherever and whenever you want sounds pretty damn great," the boy hummed.

"You seriously don't understand, Angelo," Jason said. The boy, Angelo, just shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah, I guess I don't."

Angelo stood a height shorter than Jason, being around five foot seven, but he seemed to have a stronger, more athletic build. His dark eyes had a sharp, yet slightly mischievous look behind them, and his black hair jutted out everywhere, messy, like he didn't bother to comb it in the morning. His outfit consisted of a navy blue shirt underneath a black hoodie, with white accents and a pokéball symbol on the back, gray pants, and black and red trainers.

Angelo got up from his chair and walked over to a counter on the other side of the infirmary. There was a bright orange bottle upon it, which Angelo grabbed and handed over to Jason once returning to his side.

"The nurse had to step out, but she said to make sure you took your meds," Angelo explained. "Forgot about 'em?"

"You didn't remind me."

Angelo huffed. "C'mon dude, it's been a year. You should be better about this stuff by now!"

"Well, when I have you acting as my alarm, I don't have much reason to worry, right?" Jason asked as he opened the cap off the bottle and spilled a couple of the pills into his palm.

"I'm a bad alarm," Angelo said.

"No," Jason responded. The other's face lit up. "You're a shitty alarm."

Smoochum's trainer laughed at the frown that came to Angelo's face almost instantly, and effortlessly swallowed the pills. He hopped off the bed and picked Smoochum up, and then turned to Angelo, still simpering at his dismayed reaction.

"Anyway, we should head back to class now," Jason suggested.

"Aw, can't we stay here just a little bit longer?"

"Are you really trying to skip on the first day?"

"Yup!"

Jason shook his head.

"You're a horrible influence," he said, making his way to the door, Angelo shuffling reluctantly after him. "My mom still thinks you're a pimp, or a drug lord, or a criminal all around."

"Who's to say I'm not either of those?" Angelo smirked. "I have to say, I'd be pretty accomplished at sixteen if I was."

"You're so stupid, dude," Jason said, gently punching the other's shoulder.

"Yeah, and you're an asshole, so it evens out."

"I am not!" Jason retorted. Smoochum crossed its arms and turned its head away at the comment.

"Uh-huh," Angelo said dismissively. "Anyway, I wanna head back to the dorms. Whaddya say, and you can cook me some food?"

"Nope. No way." Jason quickened his pace. "I'm not letting you peer pressure me into skipping, at least, not on the first day."

"Such a drama queen. It's not like I'm asking you to murder anyone."

"Sorry, Angelo! Can't hear you! Too busy being a good student and not falling for your awful habits!"

Angelo chuckled and cupped his hands over his mouth. "What do you expect? I'm a drug lord pimp criminal, remember?!"

Their banter continued as they made their way down the hall, and as they passed by a classroom, the door slid open, a student poking their head out. Noticing the two boys' backs, a wicked smirk came to the student's face, a dark chuckle emitting from her throat.

"Ah… dorm leaders Angelo Creed and Jason Black, huh? They're pretty cute for first years, too…"

She stepped fully into the hall and placed a hand on her hip, tapping her chin with her finger as she watched them disappear around the corner before letting out another chuckle.

"They'll be fun to play with."

"Hey, you!" the teacher from that respective classroom called, some of the other students even appearing in the doorway, but most of them carrying an anxious look on their faces. "Get back in here! Class is still ongoing!"

"Nope! I'm gonna have some fun!" the girl said defiantly, but with a tone far too chipper for anyone's comfort. Watching as she bounded down the hall with her hands waving wildly in the air, the students all looked at each other in worry and sighed.

"There she goes again…"

OC's Introduced:

Jason Black- The Imprisoned of Hell

Angelo Creed- alucard deathsinger

a/n

i initially had trouble starting this off, but once i got an idea of the direction i wanted to take with it, i just couldn't stop. so that's a good thing, right? no but really, i had a lot of fun writing this one out, especially the interactions between jason and angelo, who are probably the most like woody and buzz lightyear tbh (kudos to their creators they are my sons now)! i'm also finding maybe a little bit too much enjoyment out of writing akira and his potty mouth jfc he's like wolverine LMAO also the lore of this story and the idea of dorm rivalries is something i'm going to have a lot of fun with in the future. anyway thank you so much for reading!

since i won't be able to publish the next chapter by the time christmas comes around, i want to wish everyone a very merry christmas, and to have a wonderful day with your families and/or friends! see you next time!

- clarified